Coronation Street has confirmed the departure of Mollie Gallagher, who has portrayed Nina Lucas since 2019, after nearly seven years on the cobbles. The 28-year-old actress has already filmed her final scenes and will next appear on stage as Clarice Starling in the UK and Ireland tour of The Silence of the Lambs.
Character History and Bond with Roy Cropper
Gallagher first appeared on the ITV soap in 2019 as the niece of beloved character Roy Cropper (David Neilson). Nina is the daughter of Roy's half-brother Richard Lucas, and after Richard's death, Roy took Nina into his home. Over the years, the pair developed a close bond, with Nina living above and working at Roy's Rolls cafe.
New Stage Opportunity
Mollie has secured her next venture, making her professional stage debut in The Silence of the Lambs tour. A Coronation Street spokesperson told Digital Spy: "Mollie has created a unique and well loved character in Nina over the past six and a half years and everyone will be sorry to see her go. It is fantastic for Mollie that she has been given this incredible opportunity to play such an iconic role and we wish her all the best for the theatre tour."
She will join fellow soap stars in the production, including Emmerdale's Oliver Farnworth (John Sugden) as Jack Crawford, former EastEnders star John Partridge (Christian Clarke) as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and Skins actor Sam Jackson as Buffalo Bill.
Award-Winning Storylines
Nina has been at the centre of several high-profile storylines since her debut. In 2021, Gallagher won the National Television Award for Best Serial Drama Performance for the hard-hitting hate crime storyline involving Nina and Seb Franklin, which led to Seb's tragic death. In 2023, she competed on Dancing on Ice, partnered with professional skater Sylvain Longchambon, husband of her co-star Samia Longchambon, narrowly missing the final.
Coronation Street continues weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV and ITVX.
